Nintendo Has "No Plans" For a Western Release of The Last Story

Sadness! With The Last Story just 10 days from release in Japan, in speaking with VG247, Nintendo states they have "no plans at present" to bring what looks like what could be the Wii's best game evar to the West. What the blud, Nintendo? Unaccepting of the vague "at present" crap, Destructoid dug a little further with developers Mistwalker, who countered with the equally vague "Thank you for your concern. More info to come." C'mon son, get we get some straight talk?

Noble denizens of the interwebz are not going to take the lack of western release lightly, as an online petition with over 8,000 signatures has sprung up in an attempt to get some closure on the whole ordeal. I really doubt Nintendo passes on bringing The Last Story to the states, petition or not, but I could be wrong.

After signing the petition, all that's left to do is wait. While you're waiting, why don't you watch this extended cut of TLS in action, then go cry to yourself in a corner as you lament the possibility of never being able to play the game? By time you're all done with that, check back here, and maybe we'll have word from Nintendo by then!

Get Deep with The Last Story's Battle System

With each passing day I become more and more enamored with Nintendo's The Last Story, and you should feel the same. I can't imagine why you wouldn't anyway. The latest details gives us an in depth look at The Last Story's battle system thanks to our Far East Side friends at Andriasang.

Much like typical RPG battle fashion (perhaps more regularly found in MMORPGs) you can see the main character Elza utilizing moves such as pulling enemies, kiting enemies into area-of-effect magic spells, and holding enemy aggro while the teammates coordinate big damage attacks. Then we see some unusual, but welcome tactics, such as running through an allies fire spell area to imbue your weapon with an elemental upgrade, or sweeping a slash through a heal spell to disperse the effects to your entire party. That's thinking outside of the box, melikes.

If you're thinking The Last Story's system is reminiscent of an MMORPG, you would be right. Creator Hironobu Sakaguchi has stated he feels the game plays a bit like an MMORPG in the sense that you undertake this long and involving quest with a party of six friends who are actively engaging in conversation. The difference, of course, being that your companions are computer controlled, and the conversations are most likely scripted.

Still no western release date for what could be one of 2011's best RPGs, but rest assured Nintendo can feel the hype building here for what could be Sakaguchi-san's final masterpiece. 

The Last Story Will Be Awesome, Book It

Why am I such a fanboy for The Last Story? Probably because it looks incredible (for a Wii game), the battles occur in real time, the character design is fresh and interesting, it's headed by the legendary creator of the Final Fantasy series Hironobu Sakaguchi, and to add an extra touch of omgwtfawesomesaus, the equally amazing Nobuo Uematsu is handling the music. Yes, the same Nobuo Uematsu that's composed every almost damn Final Fantasy game ever released. I have an inkling that this game is going to be good. 

Andriasang has a great round up of The Last Story's features and modes, including competitive and cooperative multiplayer modes. They also talk story, skills, abilities, magic, and even the newly announced Wii bundle. If you're just hearing about this game now, or you're not completely sure about if it'll be a worthy purchase for your Wii, check the details and prepare to preorder. 

Oh, my bad, did I say preorder? The Last Story hasn't been announced to Western release yet. Let's go Nintendo, you're making us fanboys a little nervous. 

The Last Story Gets Online, Customization

Wii-xclusive action RPG The Last Story continues to move toward its January 27th release date in Japan while periodically reminding us here in the West how awesome it's going to be.. And that we don't have a finalized release date for it yet! 

Andriasang gives us a recent update on Nintendo's upcoming hotness, which will include 6-player online cooperative and competitive modes, orchestrated through the in-game "Raid Lobbies". The cooperative mode allows you to pick your favorite character, and face off against giant baddies with 5 teammates. The competitive mode allows you to pick your favorite character and face off against 5 of your teammates. Everyone is a winner! The implementation of online play in what already looks to be a kick ass adventure saddens me a bit that The Last Story wont make an appearance on PS3 or 360, though I suppose any reason to fire up the Wii is a good reason. 

Customization will be a big part of The Last Story, as your character's appearance will change as you add different pieces of armor and new weapons. You'll even be able to recolor your equipment to put a very personal spin on the fashionable gang.

That's pretty much all the details there are regarding multiplayer and customization thus far, but as the game is just two months away, I'm sure we'll be hearing more very soon. An English announcement can't come soon enough.

The Last Story is the Next Evolutuion

Role playing games? *yawn* I haven't played a good one in ages. Maybe there have been some released, but on their surface, none of them have gotten me hyped enough to go out and buy a copy. The last RPG I played through was Demon's Souls, which was awesome because it added some elements we've never seen before in an RPG. Aside from that, I'm sick of seeing the same thing over and over in these RPGs, aren't you?

That's why when I saw this trailer for Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi's The Last Story, I perked up a bit. Maybe there's hope for this bludgeoned horse after all. The esteemed Sakaguchi-san, who's behind what used to be my favorite game series is trying to redefine the genre with this title that mixes real-time action, a cover system, some crazy targeting system, guns, swords, magic, and an ass-kicking soundtrack. I think that's enough to get me playing. Only major drawback? Wii exclusive. ARGH, damned Wii!